Chapter 276: Risking It All, Strongest State + Strongest Strike

In his heart, Li Zhantian had long prepared for the worst.

He wasn’t one to bet on long shots.

Hearing this, Li Daoyi nodded.

He no longer hesitated. His hands formed a complex, ancient Seal Technique before his chest as he chanted an incantation.

Instantly, the vast Mental Power and Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi around him were compressed and condensed to an extreme degree, finally gathering at his fingertip into a single, brilliant point of light.

With a flick of his finger, the point of light shot into the air before them and suddenly expanded, transforming into a massive, crystalline screen.

The screen was like a calm surface of water. It was blurry at first but quickly sharpened, revealing the scene deep within the Ancient Mansion, upon the sinister altar!

The gazes of Li Zhantian, Lei Xiaotian, Qi Chongshan, and the unaffected people in the distance were instantly captivated!

...

Deep within the Ancient Mansion, inside the Chen Family Ancestral Hall.

「Five minutes earlier.」

Chen Ming sat cross-legged at the center of the altar, bathing in the pool of blood.

Chu Sheng and Gu Yuexi were still bound in mid-air.

However, on the side hidden from Chen Ming’s view, Chu Sheng’s mosquito-like legs were scratching away furiously.

[Current Defense Break: 98.88%]

’Almost there!’

Chu Sheng’s mind was stretched taut. He stole a glance at Chen Ming before whispering:

"Bzz... (Hey, how’s your recovery coming along?)"

"Bzzz. (I don’t have time to break your bonds too. Can you use your Realm Power while you’re trapped?)"

Gu Yuexi’s heart skipped a beat; she seemed to guess what Chu Sheng was planning. She immediately gave it a try, using her Life Realm on him.

"It works!"

Feeling the warmth spread over his body, Chu Sheng felt a little more at ease.

’Good. That makes things easier.’

’He didn’t know what the hell Lin Dong—or rather, the Evil God—was up to, but it couldn’t be anything good.’

’However, due to the limitations of Liu Ming’s body, less than a thousandth of the Evil God’s Will should have descended. Plus, he seems to be in the middle of some ritual.’

’This is his most vulnerable moment!’

’If I’m going to risk it all, it has to be now!’

’So... how do I risk it all?’

’It’s simple. I’ll activate my strongest state, use my strongest attack, and give this Chen Ming a nice, hard smack!’

’So... what are my strongest state and my strongest attack?’

’That would be... [Silent Annihilation Battle Armor - Tenth Gear] and... [Nine Tribulations Thunder Prison]!’

’I’ll activate two life-risking abilities at once!’

’Normally, these two Skills can’t be activated simultaneously.’

’The moment I activate the Silent Annihilation Battle Armor, I’ll be drained completely.’

’And the essence of Nine Tribulations Thunder Prison is also to wring out every last bit of my Qi Blood Spiritual Power to unleash a single, ultimate strike.’

’If I’m already drained, I won’t have any Qi Blood or Mental Power left to use it.’

’But with the support of Gu Yuexi’s Life Realm, I might be able to extend the duration of Tenth Gear just long enough to unleash Nine Tribulations Thunder Prison.’

’Still, I’m not sure it’ll work.’

’After all, her Life Realm barely kept up with Fifth Gear. And the drain from Tenth Gear is much, much more than double that!’

’Whatever. I just have to try.’

[Current Defense Break: 99.38%]

The system notification chimed again.

At the same time, Gu Yuexi’s resolute voice reached Chu Sheng’s ears:

"You damn mosquito... This time, it’s all on you!"

Chu Sheng nodded.

[Current Defense Break: 99.99%!]

’Now!’

’Break!’

Chu Sheng roared in his mind.

CRACK!

An almost inaudible cracking sound rang out! The Spatial Power binding him shattered instantly!

In the very same instant he broke free...

VMMMM!

The dark gold Silent Annihilation Battle Armor instantly enveloped his body. Without a moment’s pause, Chu Sheng commanded again.

’Tenth Gear! Activate!’

BOOM!!!

The originally jet-black Silent Annihilation Battle Armor instantly turned a ghastly scarlet, radiating a violent, destructive aura.

Chu Sheng’s Qi Blood, Mental Power, and even his Life Force surged into the Silent Annihilation Battle Armor like a bursting dam, nearly running dry in a ten-thousandth of a second!

In that exact instant...

"Ngh!"

Gu Yuexi let out a suppressed groan of pain.

Bright red blood instantly streamed from her eyes, ears, nose, and mouth! She had forcibly reversed some kind of Secret Technique, momentarily pushing her Life Realm to a level nearing the Origin!

Forcibly activating a Realm of the Origin Realm level while only at the Fourth-Grade Realm brought a tremendous backlash upon Gu Yuexi.

A majestic, pure Energy, filled with infinite vitality and the essence of creation, ignored the spatial restraints and enveloped Chu Sheng like a blessed rain.

At the center of the altar.

Chen Ming, his eyes previously closed, sensed something and opened them.

For the first time, a trace of surprise—of something beyond his control—flickered in his chaotic, blood-red pupils.

And...

in the very instant he opened his eyes...

Chu Sheng’s figure, clad in the Silent Annihilation Battle Armor, had already appeared directly above him like a phantom!

Chu Sheng looked down upon the Evil God, the Thunder Power around his body surging wildly.

The moment Chen Ming raised his head and his gaze met Chu Sheng’s countless compound eyes...

’Nine Tribulations Thunder Prison... Descend!’

...

RUMBLE—!!!

Outside the Ancient Mansion, within the dark clouds filling the sky, Thunder Power surged wildly.

And this Thunder Power was merely the aftershock triggered by the ability Chu Sheng had activated inside the Ancient Mansion.

In mid-air.

Everyone watched the events unfolding in the Ancient Mansion through the light screen.

Even the Thunder Emperor, Lei Xiaotian, who had comprehended the Thunder Origin, was so stunned by the terrifying pressure of the thunder that his jaw dropped.

It wasn’t that this Thunder Power surpassed the Thunder Emperor’s own, but that a mere Fifth-Grade Realm Contracted Beast could actually summon such terrifying thunderous might.

Even he couldn’t comprehend such a feat.

’It completely defies the Law of Thunder Heaven and Earth!’

’How is this possible?’

The Thunder Emperor was dumbfounded.

Li Daoyi was amazed, though he also felt a secret sense of pity.

Even Li Zhantian, who never had much regard for any so-called prodigies, was shocked. He too felt a slight pang of regret.

’A Contracted Beast like this, if allowed to mature, would be truly unimaginable... What a pity.’

Qi Chongshan, however, was different from the others.

He had seen Chu Sheng create miracles before, so now, he was hoping for another.

Not far away, the unmutated citizens of Du Nan City were doing the same. They held their breath, staring motionlessly at the screen, also praying for a miracle.

’Can he do it?’

...

Inside the Ancient Mansion.

The Spiritual Qi for dozens of miles around was almost completely drained, ignoring the restrictions of the Space Barrier.

At Chu Sheng’s command.

RUMBLE!

Countless bolts of Destruction Divine Thunder, thick as water barrels and interwoven with dark gold and pitch black, descended like heavenly retribution upon the Evil God at the center of the altar...

and crashed down with a deafening roar!

The entire Chen Family’s Ancient Mansion was instantly drowned in blinding purple-gold lightning!

A moment later.

The lightning dissipated. The entire Chen Family Ancestral Hall had been reduced to scorched earth.

Smoke rose from the ruined walls, and the blood-red altar was covered in cracks, its center a blackened pit.

Chu Sheng crashed down beside the altar, the Silent Annihilation Battle Armor gone from his body.

He used all his strength to raise his head and look toward the center of the altar. It was empty.

’Did I get him...?’

’Is he dead?’

Not far away, Gu Yuexi was also staring intently at the spot.

Suddenly, her pupils contracted violently, and her face turned a deathly pale she had never worn before.

Chu Sheng’s heart lurched. He felt the light above him dim as a shadow fell over him.

Then, a hand—charred to the bone and reeking of burnt flesh and blood—pinched his wing and lifted him into the air.

It was... Chen Ming.

His face had been almost completely destroyed by the lightning, revealing a bizarre yet savage expression.

This sinister being from the Alien Race was finally enraged.

"You filthy bug. Did you really think you could kill me?"

His voice was hoarse and twisted, filled with the fury of being wounded by an ant.

"Since you’re in such a rush to die, I’ll just take that body of yours."

As his voice fell...

he raised his other hand. His charred finger, like a deadly stinger, jabbed viciously toward the spot between Chu Sheng’s eyes.

VMMMM—!!!

A vast and sinister mental will instantly flooded into Chu Sheng’s Sea of Consciousness!