179: A single, deadly strike—a world-destroying spear from the heavens.

Above The Azure Vault, the white light was not salvation, but a carnival of thunder.

Zhao Ya was blinded by the light.

She raised her hand to shield her eyes, but her steps didn't falter; she still wanted to rush forward.

“Don't be foolish!”

A chill wrapped around her waist.

The frost in Su Wanqing's hand condensed into an Ice Rope, tied around Zhao Ya's waist, and pulled her back.

Zhao Ya was caught off guard, dragged back several steps, and nearly fell onto the reef.

“Let go of me!”

Zhao Ya shook off the Ice Rope, her hair messy and plastered to her face with rain.

“That's a world gate! It's a dimensional passage!”

“Lin Yuan is only one person! No matter how strong he is, he's still a mortal, how could he withstand that level of energy backlash?”

Zhao Ya propped herself up with her longsword, struggling to stand straight.

“I'm the Captain, I can't leave a teammate in that damned place...”

“He won't die.”

Su Wanqing interrupted her coldly.

There was no unnecessary nonsense.

Su Wanqing reached out directly, grabbed Zhao Ya by the collar, and pulled the imposing captain toward her.

Their noses were almost touching.

“Take a good look at the sky.”

“That guy is a lunatic, and even more so, a miser who values money above his life.”

“If this battle couldn't be won, if this venture would result in a loss, do you think he would rush up there?”

Zhao Ya froze.

She looked into Su Wanqing's eyes.

“He told us to stay far away, not to act like a hero.”

Su Wanqing released her grip and pointed into the distance.

“It's because the commotion will be too great later, and if we stand nearby, we'll only be in the way.”

Seeing Zhao Ya about to open her mouth to retort, Su Wanqing frowned slightly and pulled a faint blue-glowing Jade Pendant from her inner pocket.

“Even if we truly reach a desperate situation, crushing this will allow Senior Lu to sense it, and he'll rush over quickly.”

“So, even if that miser truly messes up, this is our last resort, not you rushing up there to die.”

She gave Zhao Ya a deep look and put the Jade Pendant away.

“Do you understand?”

Zhao Ya looked at the Jade Pendant, opened her mouth, but said nothing.

Being in the way.

Those four words were like a slap, making her cheeks burn.

“Let's go.”

Su Wanqing didn't give her time to think.

Frost spread beneath her feet.

An Ice Crystal Slide appeared, leading straight to the coast.

She supported Zhao Ya and jumped directly onto the slide.

The wind howled.

The two rapidly sped away in the heavy rain... deep within the clouds.

There was no rain here.

Because all the water molecules had been ionized.

Lin Yuan floated in the center of the storm.

Sizzle, sizzle, sizzle—

Countless Lightning Snakes drilled into his body through his fingertips and pores.

[Warning! Internal energy reserves have exceeded 200%...]

[Warning! Pressure on Meridians has reached critical value...]

[Warning! Recommended to immediately stop charging...]

“Not enough.”

Lin Yuan licked his cracked lips and tasted rust.

“This small appetizer isn't even enough to fill a gap between my teeth.”

He looked up at the heavy dark clouds surrounding him.

“Since you came, don't think about running.”

Lin Yuan made a grasping motion with his left hand.

A vortex appeared out of thin air in his palm.

“Get over... here!!”

Rumble—!!!

The Thunderclouds within a ten-mile radius seemed to respond to a summons.

The lightning that had been arbitrarily striking the sea surface changed trajectory mid-air.

They turned their 'spearheads' and converged toward Lin Yuan's palm, like ten thousand rivers flowing to the sea.

If someone were looking up from the ground right now.

They would see the dark clouds filling the sky fading.

Changing from pitch black to pale white, and finally becoming transparent.

All the violent energy was being gathered in the hands of the figure suspended in the air.

“Ugh ah ah ah—!!”

Lin Yuan let out a long howl toward the sky.

His body had already turned into a Light Cocoon.

Every inch of his bones was exploding with sound.

“Compress.”

Lin Yuan pressed his palms together, tightly suppressing the Energy Sphere in his grasp, which was glowing so brightly it looked black.

Sizzle! Crackle!

Space cracked open, unable to withstand the energy.

The mass of energy, encompassing the entire thunderstorm, began to transform under his control.

Stretching.

Shaping.

Solidifying.

A hundred-meter-long spear, entirely wreathed in black-purple electric arcs, slowly formed in his hands.

“Hoo... hoo...”

Lin Yuan gasped roughly, his chest heaving violently.

He looked at the constantly pulsating “masterpiece” in his hand.

“If this one shot doesn't work...”

Lin Yuan lowered his head and glanced at the swirling world gate expanding below.

“Then I can't do anything about it.”

Inside the world gate.

The giant hand covered in black fur had fully emerged.

Followed immediately by a second hand.

The two giant hands gripped the edge of the world gate and tore hard in opposite directions, trying to widen the passage.

A foul stench shot straight into the sky.

“Still trying to come out?”

Lin Yuan exerted force in his waist, bending his body backward.

The Lightning Spear in his hand was raised high, locked onto the two giant hands causing trouble.

“No matter what bullshit deity those scumbags worship.”

“Listen up.”

“This ocean doesn't take garbage, and it certainly doesn't welcome the beasts from Sakura Country.”

The muscles on Lin Yuan's arms bulged.

[Lightning Control: Heavenly Punishment]

“Get... back in there!!!”

The Lightning Spear shot out of his hand.

Zhao Ya and Su Wanqing had just landed when they turned back and witnessed this unforgettable scene.

A black-purple pillar of light pierced the heavens and the earth.

It was so fast it surpassed the capture limit of the retina.

Leaving behind only a persistent afterimage in their vision.

On the surface of the sea.

The Abyssal Creature that was preparing to climb out seemed to sense the impending catastrophe.

It let out a terrified roar and tried to retract its hands.

Too late.

Puchi—!

There was no resistance.

The Lightning Spear accurately nailed the center of the world gate.

Specifically, right between the two giant hands, on the half-head that had just emerged.

Boom————!!!!!!

The sound vanished.

Immediately afterward, a dazzling sphere of light expanded on the sea surface.

Seawater was vaporized, and the seabed was ripped up.

The world gate that had just opened, along with the monster that hadn't even had time to introduce itself.

Were instantly erased in this world-destroying thunder storm.

A shockwave swept out.

Even Zhao Ya and Su Wanqing, standing on a cliff several kilometers away, were sent sliding back several meters by the blast wave.

“This...”

Zhao Ya lay prone on the ground, covered in dust and dirt.

She stared blankly at the Mushroom Cloud still rising in the distance.

And the figure floating above the Mushroom Cloud, clapping his hands as if he had just finished throwing out the trash.

“Is that a Pseudo B-rank?”

Zhao Ya's voice was trembling.

“What Pseudo B-rank can manually create a nuclear bomb?”