Section 121 (Part 2): The First Step of Crushing

The [Underworld Heavenly Son] was completely dumbfounded.

Almost in the blink of an eye, the tens of millions of zombie armies under his feet vanished into thin air. Slender threads of lightning surged from the depths of the earth, tearing the zombies to pieces.

The terrifying power of annihilation caused the zombies to disintegrate and turn into absolute dust.

The thousand-meter-long green dragon of corpse qi was also sliced apart by the threads of lightning, transforming into a sky full of green mist.

The Underworld Heavenly Son felt as if his heart had been struck by a heavy hammer. He grew dizzy and disoriented.

Gone?

Tens of millions of zombies, gone without a trace in the blink of an eye?

This move again?

The [Underworld Heavenly Son] felt his scalp tingle. This technique was simply impossible to guard against!

Moreover, it was twice as strong as before!

In fact, Lin Qiye appeared even more at ease.

Previously, using this technique required Lin Qiye to exhaust half of his energy. But now, it only consumed a tenth of his capacity.

In other words, Lin Qiye had grown more than twice as strong!

The heart of the Underworld Heavenly Son sank to the abyss.

Gazing at the [Thunder God Incarnation] standing proudly, solemn and majestic, behind Lin Qiye, only a single thought remained in his mind:

Escape!

Flee quickly!

However, just as the [Underworld Heavenly Son] tried to take a step to escape, he was horrified to discover that he had been locked in place, completely unable to move. Every limb and bone had entirely lost control.

"How can this be? How can this happen?"

The [Underworld Heavenly Son] was consumed by anxiety, cold sweat pouring down his forehead.

Lin Qiye descended gently in front of the [Underworld Heavenly Son].

"The gap between you and me is like a natural chasm."

"Killing you is as effortless as mowing grass. You can set off on your final journey now."

With that, Lin Qiye slowly raised his arm, and thousands of lightning particles poured into the body of the [Underworld Heavenly Son].

In a mere instant, the internal organs of the [Underworld Heavenly Son] were corrupted and eroded. Blood continuously spilled from his mouth and nose.

"Your talent..."

The [Underworld Heavenly Son] was struck with terror. This unfathomable method of dealing death once again shattered his understanding of Lin Qiye.

Too terrifying!

It was a terrifying degree of power that transcended all comprehension!

Five SSS-rank talents had already surpassed everything!

"Why... why would an existence like you descend into this world... I refuse to accept this..."

The [Underworld Heavenly Son] smiled bitterly, his words filled with bitterness, reluctance, and a profound sense of powerlessness.

Under the shredding force of the lightning particles, he soon collapsed to his knees, his life aura fading away bit by bit.

Death arrived.

The pale face of the Underworld Heavenly Son unexpectedly gained a trace of color, akin to a final flash of brilliance before a dying fire.

"I truly never imagined it. Throughout my life, I called myself the Heavenly Son, yet in the end, I would die in such a pathetic state."

"Perhaps this is what happens when a fake heavenly son encounters a real one..."

The expression of the Underworld Heavenly Son gradually turned ferocious. Strands of evil qi surged from his body, lunging toward Lin Qiye.

However, they were completely absorbed by Lin Qiye's immortal pupils!

The [Underworld Heavenly Son] looked bewildered before transforming into green smoke and vanishing entirely.

Without a doubt, the [Underworld Heavenly Son] was dead, having perished at the hands of Lin Qiye.

"As expected, he had a connection to the Painted Skin Demon. But why would he be linked to it? The Demon Emperor, the Wind Emperor, and the Underworld Heavenly Son—will all three of them be devoured by the Painted Skin Demon?"

Lin Qiye felt a tinge of confusion. This matter was exceptionally bizarre, yet he could find no clear clue.

"With the Underworld Heavenly Son resolved, not many geniuses remain. If the Demon Emperor and the Wind Emperor refuse to show themselves, it won't be easy to hunt them down. After all... the opponent commands billions of troops. Slaughtering them myself would be extremely exhausting."

Lin Qiye shook his head.

"Next... the geniuses available for the Painted Skin Demon to devour are extremely limited. Let's see how it acts."

"Since I killed the Underworld Heavenly Son here, it should be able to sense it. Waiting in ambush for it is definitely out of the question."

Lin Qiye let out a sigh and vanished from the spot.

Far away, tens of thousands of miles distant, the Painted Skin Demon indeed perceived the fluctuations of the Underworld Heavenly Son being slain.

"My next plan has been disrupted once again."

This time, the Painted Skin Demon felt a level of agitation it had never experienced before.

"I have this lingering sensation as if a piece of my own flesh has been cut away?"

"Why would I feel this way?"

"Even mental-type powerhouses have never given me such a sensation."

"Could that Underworld Heavenly Son share some sort of origin with me? What on earth is going on?"

The Painted Skin Demon was utterly baffled.

Yet, alongside the confusion, anger predominated, twisting its facial features into a grotesque shape.

"I swear I will kill that wretched bastard Gu Shaoshang!"

"Damn it all, he has ruined countless of my plans and wrecked my path to invincibility. I must make him pay the price!"

Gritting its teeth, the Painted Skin Demon's eyes turned crimson.

After planning for so long and coming so close to devouring multiple geniuses to push its talent to the absolute limit, everything had been ruined by Lin Qiye!

At this moment, the hatred the Painted Skin Demon felt toward Lin Qiye reached its absolute peak. It was as irreconcilable as if its parents had been murdered.

"Accursed wretch! First he killed the mental-type genius, and now he has killed the Underworld Heavenly Son! My options are running out..."

Thinking of how its favorable situation had been dismantled step by step until almost nothing remained, the Painted Skin Demon's face contorted in agony.

Gritting its teeth, it finally decided to initiate this phase ahead of schedule. Without doing so, it would simply be unable to contend with Lin Qiye.

"If that's the case, I have no choice but to strike sooner. I will kill Gu Shaoshang first; devouring him should be more than enough!"

With eyes full of resentment, the Painted Skin Demon cast a glance toward the direction of the human race.

...

Meanwhile, unaware that the Painted Skin Demon would not be showing up, Lin Qiye had already returned to the Emerald Lake Villa.

Upon his return, he finally heard the long-awaited prompt from the Destiny Lamp Gemstone.

[Heaven-Defying Fate Alteration Successful: At five years and two months of age, you have slain the [Underworld Heavenly Son], resolving one of the major threats to the Empress Universe and blocking the fusion path of the Painted Skin Demon. The Painted Skin Demon is now left with only a single remaining pathway.]

[You have obtained 1,000,000 Walking Points, bringing your remaining total to 6,890,000 Walking Points.]

[You have obtained a Talent Ability Tempering Crystal: Amplification speed 300%, lasting for one month after use, with a range of 300 meters.]

Another tempering crystal?

Looking at this remarkable reward, the corners of Lin Qiye's mouth curved upward.

"With this tempering acceleration crystal, the growth speed of the three of us with SSS-rank talents will become even faster. Reaching flawless perfection sooner will minimize the complications posed by the Demon Race, the Painted Skin Demon, and the Winged Wolf Royal Family."

"Resolving them earlier will prevent prolonged nights from bringing trouble."

Lin Qiye disliked dragging things out. After all, the Painted Skin Demon was exceedingly bizarre. Although Lin Qiye had continuously sabotaged its plans, the monster remained a massive hidden threat as long as it stayed in hiding.

Furthermore, the combat strength of both the Winged Wolf Royal Family and the Demon Race stood at around five billion each. If a full-scale war broke out, Lin Qiye would undoubtedly have to deal solely with the Painted Skin Demon, the Wind Emperor, and the Demon Emperor.

Zhu Yuheng and Jiang Lianyi would have to lead the forces to resist the army of billions.

Of course, Lin Qiye had considered hunting down the Wind Emperor and the Demon Emperor individually. But intuition told him it was best not to do so.

Therefore, Lin Qiye needed the two women to grow rapidly.

Consequently, Lin Qiye immediately handed the tempering crystal over to Zhu Yuheng.

"I've acquired another tempering acceleration crystal. It triples the speed, and the effect lasts for a month."

"We will enter closed-door cultivation for the next month!"

Holding the crystal, Zhu Yuheng nodded heavily.

"Understood!"

Jiang Lianyi's eyes also brightened as she looked Lin Qiye up and down, a look of admiration shining in her eyes.

"Big Boss is truly amazing! This is practically a grandmaster carrying the team to victory!"

Lin Qiye smiled. Just as he was about to offer a modest reply, Jiang Lianyi suddenly drew a sharp breath.

"Big Boss! You acquired another SSS-rank talent? Mental-type?!!!"

"I happened to stumble upon one."

"Happened to? Can talents be increased like this? Aren't you stuck with whatever you awaken at the beginning? I only have one, and Zhu Yuheng has two. Why are you able to add more?!"

Jiang Lianyi was utterly bewildered.

Lin Qiye pondered for a moment.

"Am I just special?"

Jiang Lianyi was momentarily left speechless.

"Special? More like a supreme powerhouse, right?"

Wearing an expression as if she had seen a ghost, Jiang Lianyi could already sense that this kind of talent could be brought back. If the Big Boss took it back with him, he would be invincible among peers across every dimension!

As expected of a monstrous prodigy from Heavenly Court Island!

Jiang Lianyi sighed from the bottom of her heart. This was what a monster from Heavenly Court Island looked like... simply terrifying.

Faced with Jiang Lianyi's shock, Lin Qiye shook his head and chuckled.

However, Zhu Yuheng, standing nearby, paid no attention to how formidable his strength was. Instead, she asked with deep concern, "Shaoshang, younger brother, you were gone for so long—what you encountered must have been dangerous, right?"

Lin Qiye turned to look at Zhu Yuheng.

"It was somewhat tricky. The opponent this time was a rather special existence adept at mental attacks. My methods in that area were relatively lacking, so I almost stumbled. But in the end, I was faster by a single second and killed it!"

Hearing this, Zhu Yuheng's expression shifted.

"A single second? That's far too dangerous!"

As she spoke, Zhu Yuheng's eyes dimmed slightly. She tightly gripped the hem of her clothes, her nerves involuntarily tightening.

"You... you didn't get hurt, did you?"

"I am completely unharmed." Lin Qiye smiled indifferently.

"What about internal injuries? Was your mind damaged? Should we go to the hospital, or have a mental-type powerhouse check you over?"

Zhu Yuheng was exceptionally worried, her pretty features crinkling together.

"I'm truly fine."

"A second might seem long, but to powerhouses like us, a fraction of a millimeter makes a thousand miles of difference. Being faster by even 0.01 seconds means an undisputed complete victory. So, although it looked like I only won by a second, I actually won a hundred times over. Even if I gave the opponent a hundred chances, it still couldn't reverse-kill me."

Lin Qiye explained casually.

"Don't lie to me... I know how perilous it was..."

Zhu Yuheng suddenly stepped forward, locking her gaze onto Lin Qiye's eyes.

"Promise me you won't take such risks again next time, okay?" Zhu Yuheng requested earnestly, her tone rather stern.

At this moment, the palms of her hands were slick with sweat, a clear sign that she had been nervous to the extreme.

A victory by a single, narrow second—wouldn't one slip-up mean getting injured?

So, all this time, he had been facing dangers of that magnitude?

Zhu Yuheng's fists clenched tighter and tighter. Her heart twisted into a knot, and a resolute belief quietly sprouted within her.

"From now on, I must exhaust all my effort to develop my talent, hoping to stand and fight by his side sooner... so he won't have to face such perilous battles alone..."

Seeing the affectionate yet unwavering gaze in Zhu Yuheng's eyes, Lin Qiye was momentarily dazed.

What kind of feeling was this?

It was completely different from Jiang Lianyi. Jiang Lianyi cared about how strong Lin Qiye was. But Zhu Yuheng cared whether Lin Qiye was injured, whether he was safe, and whether he had taken risks...

No wonder Mother Gu liked this young empress so much. She was indeed deeply endearing.

Lin Qiye smiled and patted Zhu Yuheng on the shoulder.

"Once you cultivate for a bit longer and develop your second talent to 100% flawless perfection, you can come into battle with me."

Hearing this, Zhu Yuheng beamed brightly.

"You promised, remember? Don't go back on your word!"

"However, after I finish this month of cultivation, you have to teach me more about actual combat so I don't hold you back later!"

Zhu Yuheng's eyes lit up, brimming with enthusiasm and motivation.

...

Thus, over the following month, the three of them entered a state of frantic cultivation.

Zhu Yuheng slept for only three hours a day, eager to dedicate every single moment to practice. After all, a treasure like the tempering crystal was extraordinarily rare. Once activated and put to use, the crystal would continue to be consumed even during sleep.

Therefore, Zhu Yuheng always felt that sleeping was a waste of time—time that increased the dangers Gu Shaoshang faced by a fraction.

She was unwilling to sleep. If Lin Qiye hadn't used [Thunder-Light Leap] every night to personally force her to rest, she wouldn't have done so at all.

Influenced by Zhu Yuheng, Jiang Lianyi also transformed into a cultivation fanatic.

Time spent in cultivation always passes swiftly.

In the blink of an eye, a month went by, and the acceleration effect came to a sudden halt.

Having grown accustomed to the acceleration, Zhu Yuheng abruptly opened her eyes and sighed.

"If only it could have lasted a bit longer." She felt a lingering sense of regret.

On the other side, Lin Qiye also opened his eyes and exhaled a faint breath of stale air.

"The results of this month's cultivation can be considered quite good."

Following the [Annihilation Divine Thunder], the [Thunder God Incarnation] had now also reached a 100% development rate. His defense officially entered the state of 'impenetrably tanky while dealing massive damage.'

The [Thunder God Domain] had reached 72%, allowing him to condense even more nanoscopic particles that could be inhaled by enemies even more stealthily.

As for [Thunder-Light Leap], it remained unchanged at 60%.

Meanwhile, the [Immortal Soul and Divine Spirit] talent had surged from 10% to 26%. Its progress was somewhat slow, which was understandable given that it was an entirely new talent system.

However, do not underestimate the modest increase in the development rate of the Immortal Soul and Divine Spirit; its boost to Lin Qiye's combat effectiveness was visible to the naked eye.

The development of mental power allowed Lin Qiye to manipulate lightning particles with far greater precision and delicacy!

Lin Qiye even had a feeling that if the development rate of his mental-type talent reached 100%, his control over lightning particles might break through the nanometer scale and enter an even more microscopic realm.

That was terrifying!

Extremely terrifying!

Furthermore, the development of the mental-type talent also enhanced Lin Qiye's reaction speed by fivefold!

A fivefold increase in reaction speed, coupled with the amplification of the immortal pupils in perceiving the flow of time, allowed him to easily see through the enemy's attack methods.

In addition to all this, Lin Qiye possessed the blessing of the immortal bones, which could increase the development rate of each talent ability by 20%!

In other words, the accumulation of these various enhancements gave Lin Qiye the capital to crush any individual powerhouse!

Slaughtering three hundred million single-handedly might prove quite difficult, but operating at full firepower and consuming all the energy within his body to wipe out one hundred million was entirely possible!

Analyzing his own combat strength, Lin Qiye couldn't help but marvel.

"I really am outrageously strong! I just wonder how powerful the Painted Skin Demon is. Since this fellow keeps hiding, I can't figure out its bottom line."