Fireworks' Sky-Slicing Trial, the Sharpness of the God-Defying Byakugan

The Tenth Trial Ground behind Nishen Hall was an open training field dyed golden-red by the setting sun. The ground was paved with obsidian, engraved with intersecting god-defying runes, and dozens of ten-zhang-high refined iron pillars stood in the center, each containing defensive power capable of resisting a full-strength strike from a Titled Douluo. Hanabi’s trial required her to use her Byakugan fused with God-Defying Power and her chakra blade to cut down all the refined iron pillars within half an incense stick's time, while also unraveling the "Shadow-Kill Labyrinth" within the rune array, breaking through the limits of her speed and insight to unlock the God-Defying Byakugan: Void-Slicing Form.

God Realm Enforcers had already appeared above the Douluo Continent, and a great war was imminent. Hanabi held the red chakra blade left by her father and stood at the entrance of the trial ground, her white eyes shimmering with eager light. She had always looked up to her sister, Hinata, and longed to prove with her strength that she could be Su Chen’s sharpest blade. Facing this trial concerning the fate of Nishen Hall, her heart was filled only with determination, without the slightest retreat.

“Hanabi, your Byakugan excels at insight, and your chakra blade excels at surprise attacks, but your greatest weakness is being easily influenced by emotions and being too eager for success.” Su Chen’s voice carried gentle encouragement as black God-Defying Soul Power flowed through the rune array. “The Shadow-Kill Labyrinth will create phantom clones of you; they will mimic your moves and even use your weaknesses to attack you. Remember, only with calm insight and precise strikes can you break the labyrinth and cut down the pillars.”

Hanabi nodded vigorously, red Chakra Binding around the blade, emitting a cold red light. “Lord Su Chen, I understand! I will definitely do it and won't disappoint you or my sister!”

As her voice fell, she suddenly stepped into the trial ground, and the incense for the half-incense-stick timer was instantly lit. With a "buzz," the god-defying runes in the training field lit up simultaneously, black defensive patterns emerged on the surfaces of the dozens of refined iron pillars, and from the surrounding shadows, dozens of phantoms identical to Hanabi suddenly surged out. Each held a chakra blade with cold eyes, like true assassins.

“The Shadow-Kill Labyrinth has started!” Hanabi’s God-Defying Byakugan instantly activated, black patterns spreading within her white eyes as she tried to distinguish the real from the fake phantoms. But these phantoms' auras were exactly like hers, even their Chakra fluctuations were identical, making it difficult for her to tell them apart for a moment.

“Since I can’t tell them apart, I’ll just cut them all down!” The stubbornness in Hanabi’s character was triggered. She pushed off with both feet, her body rushing toward the nearest refined iron pillar like an arrow from a bow, her chakra blade carrying a red light as it slashed toward the pillar.

“Clang!” The blade collided with the pillar, producing a piercing metallic sound. Only a shallow scratch was left on the refined iron pillar, while a phantom suddenly rushed out from the shadows, its chakra blade pointing directly at her back. Hanabi reacted extremely quickly, sidestepping to dodge while delivering a backhand slash that split the phantom in two. But the moment the phantom dissipated, three more phantoms attacked from different directions with tricky moves, perfectly predicting her evasion route.

“Damn it!” Hanabi was forced to retreat repeatedly, her clothes torn by the phantoms' blade qi, leaving several shallow bloodstains. Her breathing gradually became ragged, and her eagerness to cut down the pillars caused openings in her movements, while her Byakugan’s insight became somewhat dull.

“Hanabi, calm down!” Su Chen’s voice pierced through the battlefield, his black God-Defying Soul Power turning into a thread that gently wrapped around her wrist with a Binding touch. “Use your Byakugan to sense the flow of the runes. The existence of the phantoms depends on rune energy. Find the source of the energy to break the labyrinth!”

Hanabi took a deep breath and forced herself to calm down. She closed her eyes, focusing all her attention on her Byakugan, sensing the energy flow of the runes in the training field. Soon, she discovered that all the phantoms' energy came from the core of the ground’s rune array—a black crystal in the center of the training field.

“Found it!” Hanabi suddenly opened her eyes, her God-Defying Byakugan’s power of insight rising to its peak as the trajectory of the energy flow clearly appeared in her white eyes. She no longer paid attention to the surrounding phantoms, her figure flashing as she rushed toward the black crystal at the rune core. Phantoms along the way tried to stop her, but Hanabi’s speed suddenly exploded, the red chakra blade in her hand drawing afterimages as she slashed the phantoms one by one.

When she reached the black crystal, all the phantoms suddenly fused together, forming a giant phantom several times taller than her. The chakra blade in its hand also turned black, carrying the pressure of God-Defying Power. “Give up, you cannot overcome your own obsession!” The giant phantom’s voice was cold as it slashed at her, the black blade qi shrouding her like a dark cloud.

There was no fear in Hanabi’s eyes. She remembered the “Resonance of Byakugan and God-Defying Power” Su Chen had taught her, her sister Hinata’s encouragement, and her own vow to “become Su Chen’s sharpest blade.” She poured all the God-Defying Power in her body into the chakra blade, the red Chakra and black God-Defying Power intertwining to form a red, white, and black tri-colored blade qi.

“God-Defying Void-Slicing!” Hanabi’s voice rang through the training field as she leaped up, the chakra blade in her hand carrying World-destroying power as it slashed toward both the giant phantom and the black crystal.

“Boom!” The tri-colored blade qi collided with the black blade qi, and the giant phantom was instantly shattered, the black crystal also breaking upon impact. The energy flow of the rune array instantly became chaotic, and the defensive patterns on the surfaces of all the refined iron pillars disappeared. Hanabi did not stop, her figure weaving between the pillars as the tri-colored blade qi flashed continuously. The dozens of refined iron pillars were cut down one by one, crashing to the ground and kicking up clouds of dust.

The time for half an incense stick had just ended. Hanabi stood in the center of the training field, her clothes covered in dust and bloodstains, but her eyes were exceptionally bright. Her body erupted with brilliant red, white, and black light, and a pair of wings condensed from Chakra appeared on her back, wrapped in god-defying runes. The chakra blade in her hand also evolved into three colors, its edge shimmering with a sharpness that could cut through space—God-Defying Byakugan: Void-Slicing Form was officially unlocked! Her speed surpassed spatial limits, her Byakugan’s insight could predict an enemy’s next move, and her chakra blade’s slashes could tear through the God Realm's spatial barrier.

Carrying her blade, Hanabi walked to Su Chen’s side, her face beaming with a proud smile. “Lord Su Chen, I did it! From now on, my blade will cut down all enemies for you!”

Su Chen reached out and stroked her head, his eyes full of gratification. “Hanabi, you’ve really grown up and become a true God-Defying powerhouse.”

Just then, the alarm of Nishen Hall sounded again, and Hinata’s voice came with urgency: “Su Chen! Three High Gods of the God Realm Enforcers have arrived at the outskirts of the Star Dou Great Forest, and they are destroying the forest’s defensive barrier!”

Su Chen looked up at the sky. The sky at the outskirts of the Star Dou Great Forest was already covered by the golden light of divine punishment. The forest's trees were being burned by the power of divine punishment, and countless Spirit Beasts were fleeing in panic. “Everyone, the trials are temporarily over. Prepare to face the enemy!” Su Chen’s voice echoed through the back mountain. “Hanabi, you and Hinata use your Byakugan to observe the Enforcers' weaknesses; Rongrong, maintain the Ten Thousand Times Amplification throughout; everyone else, act according to the previous deployment!”

The Heroines responded one after another, their God-Defying Forms fully unfolding as their colorful powers gathered to form a solid line of defense.

Meanwhile, on the streets of Cangyun Town, Xiao Ling was curled up next to a trash can, gnawing on moldy bread crumbs. The loud noise and golden light from the sky made him look up. He saw the battle in the direction of the Star Dou Great Forest and the Heroines' God-Defying Forms, but there was no ripple in his heart, only endless numbness.

Several street thugs saw him looking at the sky and thought he had found some treasure, so they surrounded him. “Trash, what are you looking at? Did you find something good?” One thug kicked him to the ground and snatched away the last of the bread crumbs in his hand.

Xiao Ling lay on the ground, neither resisting nor roaring, just silently watching the fierce battle in the sky. He knew this war had nothing to do with him; he was just a bottom-tier commoner who had trouble even surviving, a piece of trash forgotten by the World.

When the aftershocks of the divine punishment light swept across the street and set the trash can on fire, Xiao Ling only slowly climbed up and limped toward the Mass Grave. He didn’t know where he was going or how long he could live; he just instinctively wanted to survive, even if he lived like a dog.