181: Chapter 181 Bloodstained Battle, Overlord Body Shatters Holy Light

The air in the No. 1 Prodigy Arena zone solidified the moment the battle began.

It wasn't a figure of speech.

It was a physical fact.

Apollo's Sun Domain covered the entire 120-meter diameter arena within 0.1 seconds. The golden radiance wasn't light; it was "Purification"—the Origin power the God Race had used for ten thousand years to purify heretics, compressed to the extreme under 127 times gravity, with every strand as heavy as a thousand catties.

[Sun Domain · Secondary Awakening Complete State]

[Range: 100-meter radius]

[Damage per second: 3,700 points]

[Special Effect: All non-God Race units within the Domain cannot use any recovery-type skills, and movement speed is reduced by 20%]

[Duration: Infinite (Consumes 5% of the caster's Divine Power per second)]

[Current Caster Divine Power: 100% → 95% → 90% (Consumed per second)]

— — —

Shi Potian stood in the center of the Domain.

His skin began to burn within 0.1 seconds.

It wasn't the burning of flames.

It was the burning of "Purification."

Every inch of his skin was carbonizing, peeling off, regenerating, and carbonizing again at a speed visible to the naked eye.

[Health Points: 100% → 96.3% → 92.6% → 88.9%]

3,700 points per second.

He could hold out for at most 24 seconds.

— — —

He didn't move.

He was waiting.

Waiting for Lin Ye to finish tanking the 9th Holy Light Judgement.

Waiting for Apollo's 1.5-second forced cooldown window.

Waiting for that one and only opportunity with a 65% success rate from the tactical rehearsal.

— — —

At 0.3 seconds.

Lin Ye rushed into the arena.

Chaos Domain fully activated.

Gray light and golden light collided madly on the arena.

[Chaos Domain · Devour Mode]

[Light-type damage absorption rate: 65%]

[Current absorption: 3,700 → 1,295 points/second]

— — —

The Purification damage on Shi Potian plummeted.

[88.9% → 87.6% → 86.3%]

1,295 points per second.

— — —

At 0.7 seconds.

Apollo's 1st Holy Light Judgement fired.

A golden beam pierced through Lin Ye's body.

[Damage: 19,000 points × 35% = 6,650 points]

[Lin Ye Health Points: 100% → 93.4%]

— — —

He didn't dodge.

He stood in front of Shi Potian.

He used his body to block the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th shots.

— — —

At 1 second.

2nd shot.

[93.4% → 86.8%]

— — —

At 1.3 seconds.

3rd shot.

[86.8% → 80.2%]

— — —

At 1.7 seconds.

4th shot.

[80.2% → 73.6%]

— — —

At 2 seconds.

5th shot.

[73.6% → 67.0%]

— — —

At 2.3 seconds.

6th shot.

[67.0% → 60.4%]

— — —

At 2.7 seconds.

7th shot.

[60.4% → 53.8%]

— — —

At 3 seconds.

8th shot.

[53.8% → 47.2%]

— — —

At 3.3 seconds.

9th shot.

[47.2% → 40.6%]

— — —

After Apollo's 9th Holy Light Judgement fired, his light wings dimmed.

[Forced cooldown: 1.5 seconds]

[Light Wing Teleport remaining uses: 3/3]

[Divine Power: 90% → 45% (9 Holy Light Judgements + Sun Domain consumption)]

— — —

At 3.4 seconds.

Shi Potian moved.

He didn't rush toward Apollo's current position.

He rushed toward the coordinate that Lin Ye had analyzed through 17 replays—7 meters directly behind.

— — —

But just as his footsteps took 0.3 meters, he saw the smile on the corner of Apollo's mouth.

That smile wasn't fear.

It was "waiting."

— — —

[System prompt: Apollo activated "Sun God Body · Secondary Awakening Hidden Trait" — Light Mirror]

[Light Mirror]

[Effect: Creates a perfect mirror image 7 meters behind the caster; the main body teleports to the opposite direction]

[Cooldown: 300 seconds]

[Used: 1/1]

— — —

Shi Potian's left fist smashed into the mirror image.

The mirror image disintegrated.

But Apollo's main body appeared 7 meters directly in front—the opposite direction of his original position.

— — —

At 3.7 seconds.

Apollo's 10th Holy Light Judgement began charging.

It wasn't Holy Light Judgement.

It was [Sun God Art · Final Judgement].

[Sun God Art · Final Judgement]

[Consumption: Remaining 45% Divine Power]

[Casting time: 1.7 seconds]

[Damage: 70,000 points]

[Special Effect: The person hit will be unable to use any skills for 60 seconds]

[Cooldown: 24 hours]

— — —

Golden radiance condensed at the tip of his scepter.

That radiance was more blinding than any previous time.

Brighter than the sun itself.

— — —

At 3.8 seconds.

Shi Potian turned around.

He saw that ball of golden light condensing.

He saw the smile on the corner of Apollo's mouth.

He saw that he was 17 meters away from Apollo.

1.7 seconds.

He couldn't rush over in time.

— — —

At 3.9 seconds.

Lin Ye moved.

His Health was 40.6%.

His Divine Power was 31%.

His Chaos Domain was still running.

But he moved.

He rushed toward Apollo.

— — —

At 4.1 seconds.

He stood in front of Apollo.

His sword stabbed toward his chest.

— — —

Apollo didn't dodge.

He took it head-on.

[Damage dealt: 7,300 points]

[Apollo Health: 100% → 98.7%]

[Sun Heart recovery: 12%/10 seconds → 98.7% → 99.7% (after 1.3 seconds)]

— — —

His Final Judgement—was still condensing.

1.7 seconds casting time.

0.9 seconds remaining.

— — —

At 4.3 seconds.

Lin Ye's second sword.

[7,100 points]

[99.7% → 98.5%]

— — —

0.7 seconds.

— — —

At 4.5 seconds.

Third sword.

[7,400 points]

[98.5% → 96.8%]

— — —

0.5 seconds.

— — —

At 4.7 seconds.

Fourth sword.

[7,300 points]

[96.8% → 95.2%]

— — —

0.3 seconds.

— — —

At 4.9 seconds.

Fifth sword.

[7,100 points]

[95.2% → 93.8%]

— — —

0.1 seconds.

— — —

At 5 seconds.

Final Judgement—fired.

A golden beam of light surged from the tip of the scepter.

1.7 meters in diameter.

Pure gold.

So pure that there were no Impurities.

— — —

Lin Ye stood directly in front of the light beam.

0.3 meters away.

Too late to dodge.

— — —

Then.

A figure crashed in from the side.

Shi Potian.

He used his left shoulder to shove Lin Ye away.

Using his own body—he met that golden beam of light.

— — —

[Sun God Art · Final Judgement]

[Hit: Shi Potian]

[Damage: 70,000 points]

[Special Effect: Unable to use any skills within 60 seconds — Triggered]

— — —

Shi Potian's Health: 86.3% → 0%.

[Forced to retain 1 Health Point]

[Hegemon Body · Undying Heart · Passive Triggered]

[Cooldown: 72 hours]

— — —

He stood in place.

There was a 0.3-meter diameter penetrating wound on his chest.

Golden light shone through the wound.

His left fist—the left fist that had withstood three blows from a Level 70 Ancestor Phantom in the Ninth Trial of the Ancestor Star without falling—was still raised.

But he couldn't use any skills.

[Status: Skill Sealed]

[Duration: 60 seconds]

— — —

At 5.1 seconds.

Apollo looked at him.

3 seconds.

He smiled.

That smile was brighter than ever before.

"Hegemon Body heretic," he said.

"You lost."

— — —

Shi Potian didn't speak.

He just looked at him.

3 seconds.

He pulled his left fist—that left fist that couldn't use any Hegemon Body skills—back to his chest.

Then.

He took a step forward.

— — —

At 5.2 seconds.

Apollo's pupils contracted slightly.

"You can still move?"

— — —

Shi Potian didn't answer.

He just kept walking.

2nd step.

3rd step.

4th step.

— — —

At 5.5 seconds.

He stood in front of Apollo.

0.3 meters away.

His left fist—without Hegemon markings, without golden light, without the support of any Hegemon Body skills—smashed into Apollo's chest.

[Pure Physical Body attack]

[Damage dealt: 1,700 points]

[Apollo Health: 93.8% → 93.4%]

— — —

Apollo was stunned for a moment.

Then he smiled.

"Just this much damage?"

— — —

Shi Potian didn't speak.

He just kept smashing.

2nd punch.

[1,700 points]

[93.4% → 93.0%]

— — —

3rd punch.

[93.0% → 92.6%]

— — —

4th punch.

[92.6% → 92.2%]

— — —

5th punch.

[92.2% → 91.8%]

— — —

3 punches per second.

5,100 points of damage per second.

Sun Heart recovered 12,000 points per second.

— — —

Apollo's smile became brighter and brighter.

"You can't kill me," he said.

— — —

Shi Potian didn't answer.

He just kept smashing.

17th punch.

18th punch.

19th punch.

— — —

At 10 seconds.

Apollo's Health: 91.8% → 90.0% → 88.2% (after Sun Heart recovery offset, a net decrease of 3.6%).

— — —

At 15 seconds.

Net decrease of 7.2%.

— — —

At 20 seconds.

Net decrease of 10.8%.

— — —

At 25 seconds.

Net decrease of 14.4%.

— — —

Apollo's smile began to freeze.

Because he discovered one thing.

Shi Potian's fist, every punch was heavier than the last.

It wasn't the support of Hegemon Body skills.

It is "Burning".

[Hegemon Blood Burning · Silent Mode]

[Effect: Without activating any Hegemon Body skills, permanently sacrifice maximum HP to temporarily increase single-fist attack power]

[Current Burning Progress: 1st second → 25th second]

[Permanent HP maximum loss: 0.1% → 2.5%]

[Single-fist attack power increase: 1,700 → 2,100 → 2,500 → 2,900]

---

The 25th second.

Shi Potian's left fist smashed down.

[Damage dealt: 2,900 points]

[Apollo's HP: 88.2% → 87.9%]

---

Heart of the Sun recovers 12,000 points per second.

Net decrease: 2,900 × 3 - 12,000 = -3,300 points.

Decrease of 3,300 points per second.

---

The 30th second.

Apollo's HP: 87.9% → 86.2% → 84.5% → 82.8%.

Decrease of 3,300 points per second.

---

The 35th second.

82.8% → 81.1% → 79.4% → 77.7%.

---

The 40th second.

77.7% → 76.0% → 74.3% → 72.6%.

---

The 45th second.

72.6% → 70.9% → 69.2% → 67.5%.

---

The 50th second.

67.5% → 65.8% → 64.1% → 62.4%.

---

The 55th second.

62.4% → 60.7% → 59.0% → 57.3%.

---

The 59th second.

57.3% → 55.6%.

---

The 60th second.

Skill Seal — Lifted.

At the moment Shi Potian's left fist fell in the 60th second — it ignited with a dark golden flame.

[Hegemon Body · Second Stage · Complete Awakening]

[Hegemon's Boundless · Activated]

[All Attributes +150%]

[Immune to all control effects]

---

His left fist smashed into Apollo's chest.

[Damage dealt: 47,000 points]

[Apollo's HP: 55.6% → 47.1%]

---

The 60.3rd second.

Second punch.

[47,000 points]

[47.1% → 38.6%]

---

The 60.7th second.

Third punch.

[38.6% → 30.1%]

---

The 61st second.

Fourth punch.

[30.1% → 21.6%]

---

The 61.3rd second.

Fifth punch.

[21.6% → 13.1%]

---

The 61.7th second.

Sixth punch.

[13.1% → 4.6%]

---

The 62nd second.

Seventh punch.

[4.6% → 0%]

---

[Kill · Level 73 God Race Divine Son]

[Time taken: 62 seconds]

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

[Evaluation: At the cost of permanent HP maximum loss, persisted for 60 seconds of pure physical attacks while under Skill Seal, ultimately completing the kill]

[Advancement: Top 4]

---

Shi Potian stood in place.

His left fist was still dripping blood.

The penetrating wound on his chest was still oozing golden light spots — that was the residual purification power of the Final Judgment.

But he stood.

---

[System Prompt: You have permanently lost maximum HP]

[Loss ratio: 5%]

[Current HP maximum: 100% → 95%]

[Reason: 60 seconds of continuous Hegemon Blood Burning, exceeding the Physical Body's limit]

[Note: This loss is irreversible; must consume 'Blood Replenishing Divine Medicine' (Legendary grade or above) to recover]

---

Shi Potian looked at that line, 'irreversible'.

3 seconds.

He pulled his left fist back to his chest.

Looking at it.

The left fist that withstood three punches from a Level 70 Ancestor Phantom in the Ninth Trial of the Ancestor Star without falling.

The left fist that smashed the Mother Empress's head-chest armor in the Mother Empress Hall.

The left fist that killed a Level 72 God Race Divine Son in 31 punches.

At this moment, there were 17 cracks on the fist surface deep enough to see the bone.

That was the aftermath of burning Hegemon Blood.

---

He turned around.

Walked off the arena.

Every step was very slow.

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

1st step.

2nd step.

3rd step.

---

17th step.

He stood in front of Lin Ye.

His HP: 1 point.

His Hegemon Blood concentration: 3%.

His left fist — still dripping blood.

But he looked at Lin Ye.

3 seconds.

He smiled.

That smile was exactly the same as when he smashed the chest bone of a Level 67 Holy Demon Race.

Very heavy.

Very steady.

Carrying a trace of... satisfaction.

"Boss," he said.

"4th place."

---

Lin Ye did not speak.

He just looked at that left fist.

Looking at those 17 cracks deep enough to see the bone.

Looking at the System prompt floating above Shi Potian's head that only he could see:

[Permanent HP maximum loss: 5%]

[Recoverable via: Blood Replenishing Divine Medicine (Legendary grade or above)]

---

3 seconds.

Lin Ye reached out.

Grasped that left fist that was still dripping blood.

[System Prompt: You have established a 'Life and Death Bond' state with Shi Potian]

[Life and Death Bond]

[Effect: When one party's HP reaches zero, the other party can sacrifice 50% of their own current HP to forcibly keep the other party at 1 HP]

[Duration: Permanent]

[Note: This state is a hidden mechanism, triggered only when both have experienced more than 3 near-death battles side-by-side and mutual trust is ≥ 99%]

---

Lin Ye did not look at that prompt.

He just held that fist.

For a long time.

Then he let go.

"5%," Lin Ye said.

"I will find the Blood Replenishing Divine Medicine."

---

Shi Potian looked at him.

3 seconds.

He nodded.

---

The medical pod was already waiting.

[Medical Pod · Hegemon Body Ancestral Star Custom Edition]

[Repair time: 24 hours (based on current injuries)]

[Repair contents:]

[1. Left fist bone reconstruction (17 comminuted fractures)]

[2. Chest penetrating wound repair (residual purification power needs additional removal)]

[3. HP recovery to 100% (but maximum cannot be repaired)]

[4. Hegemon Blood concentration recovery (requires 72 hours of natural recovery)]

---

Shi Potian lay into the medical pod.

Before the pod lid closed, he took one last look at Lin Ye.

In that look, there was no fear, no regret, not even concern about the 'permanent 5% loss'.

Only one sentence:

"Top 4."

"You go fight."

---

The pod lid closed.

[Repair countdown: 23:59:59]

---

Lin Ye stood in place.

He looked at the closing pod lid.

3 seconds.

He turned around.

Looking towards the direction of the 1st Arena area in the distance.

There, the Top 4 list was scrolling on the holographic screen.

[Top 4 List · Prodigy Arena]

[1. Odin (God Race) — Level 67]

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

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

[4. Shi Potian (Heavenly Court) — Level 64 (Severely Injured/Medical Pod)]

[5. ??? (Bye)]

---

4th place.

The last place.

But he won.

---

Su Qingyue walked to Lin Ye's side.

Her left hand held his hand.

3 seconds.

Let go.

"Blood Replenishing Divine Medicine," she said.

"I have heard of it."

"In the core laboratory of the Seventh Fleet of the Eternal Starfield, there is a seedling of the [Ancient Tree of Life]."

"Its sap can recover any permanent damage."

---

Lin Ye looked at her.

"What price is required?" he asked.

---

Su Qingyue was silent.

3 seconds.

"The Seventh Fleet will not sell it," she said.

"That is their strategic resource."

"But —"

She paused.

"If you can make it into the finals."

"If you can defeat Odin in the finals."

"The Seventh Fleet will be willing to talk."

---

Lin Ye did not speak.

He just looked at the holographic screen in the distance.

Looking at that name.

[Odin · God Race · Level 67]

---

[System Prompt: Top 4 matchups will be announced in 24 hours]

[Current remaining time: 23 hours 47 minutes]

[Suggestion: Recover state, study Odin's combat recordings]

---

Lin Ye turned around.

Walked towards the rest area.

Behind him, Su Qingyue.

Behind her, Chu Yunxi, Zhou Tieshan, Lu Xinghe, Yun Qianxue, Qin Ruoxue, Zhao Wuji.

7 people.

7 breaths.

7 pairs of eyes.

---

1st step.

2nd step.

3rd step.

---

17th step.

Lin Ye stopped.

He did not look back.

But he spoke.

"24 hours," he said.

"I want all of Odin's recordings from the qualifiers to the quarterfinals."

"Every frame."

---

Qin Ruoxue's voice came from behind him.

"Already prepared."

"47 matches."

"Total duration: 3 hours 17 minutes."

---

Lin Ye nodded.

Continued walking.

---

Inside the medical pod.

Shi Potian lay there.

His eyes were open.

He looked at the retreating back outside the pod lid.

3 seconds.

He smiled.

That smile was very light, very faint.

Then he closed his eyes.

---

[Chapter 181 · End]