What seemed like a simple one-hit kill appeared to conceal an inexplicable rule of profound truth, enigmatic and oppressive, mixed with a silent wave of impact. It was more akin to a lightning bolt, a beam of light, blasting directly against the bizarrely manifested defensive barrier.

Deathly stillness. Silence. Calm. The instant the fist's wind made contact, the surroundings plunged into an utter void of chaos. There was no better vocabulary to describe the effect of Sky Shadow's strike—an attack that seemed ordinary but was, in truth, an Unparalleled Strike that concentrated force at a single pinpoint, instantly tearing a gaping hole in the bizarre black-and-red defensive shield, like armor-piercing ammunition, penetrating straight to the core.

Afterward, Sky Shadow ceased all movement, standing entirely still... The scene appeared eerily peculiar.

But it was over. All of it was over. This strike couldn't be said not to have broken through the defense. It was his ultimate one-hit kill, channeling all his strength into a single point, yet it wasn't a case of transforming his entire body into a weapon. Apart from the rip in the bizarre defensive shield caused by his fist's breath, his form could no longer advance at all.

"Is this the entirety of your strength?"

"Why... why is this happening? This shouldn't be the case." Sky Shadow stood dumbfounded in front of the bizarre figure, his expression frozen in disbelief, unable to comprehend why the ultimate technique he had diligently honed amounted to no more than this.

"Your punch wasn't half bad," the bizarre figure actually praised Sky Shadow's strike. "I must admit, the effect was decent. In my calculations, no matter how much effort you poured in, it should have been impossible to breach the light-shield defense. Yet, you managed to focus your strength at one point and achieve a one-hit-kill effect. This is precisely the terrifying aspect of humanity. The destructive power of that attack has already exceeded your level significantly. By human metrics, its damage output should rate at ten million."

However, Sky Shadow showed no response to the bizarre figure's words. Or rather, his entire body remained immobile, as if totally immersed in a state of self-denial and introspection. He scrutinized himself, wondering what his year-long efforts had truly amounted to.

He had trained tirelessly, day and night, continually improving, ascending to greater heights, even mastering a technique he believed nearly invincible in instantaneous explosive power. Yet, when this attack landed upon the bizarre defensive barrier, it could merely breach the surface—and nothing more. Beyond this, it evoked no further reaction.

"Is he... alright?" Zhang Xiaobo was deeply worried as he looked at Sky Shadow's incredulous expression and his shocked face, genuinely concerned that this setback might devastate him, leaving him utterly defeated.

Everyone glanced at each other, helpless and confused. After all, Sky Shadow's efforts over the past year were evident to all. They had witnessed his hardships and sweat. A year ago, Sky Shadow wasn't nearly as strong, yet he could suppress the bizarre figure. And now, a year later, though he had grown much stronger, the bizarre figure had transformed into an unimaginably powerful entity. This reversal would leave anyone shocked.

"It's not that serious. He's just struggling to come to terms with it for now. However, we truly have no way to deal with him at this point." Feng Yi's words brought at least some measure of composure to the group.

"You still don't understand, do you, Sky Shadow? The gap between us has grown so vast it's unreachable. You should feel fortunate that your attack managed to breach my defense at all. Hahaha... Alas, this attack has a significant flaw—for its power to concentrate at a single point also signifies its limitations. You're too weak. I never expected that after a year of training, you've only reached this level. Someone as worthless as you isn't even worth killing."

"Ha? You—what did you just say!?"

"Hahaha! Leave. I no longer care to kill you. Go back to where you came from and live in regret and helplessness. Regret your own weakness, your own impotence."

The bizarre figure burst out laughing... a reckless, unrestrained laugh. His response seemed to stab deeper at Sky Shadow than an actual death blow, appearing to inflict a far greater pain. The bizarre figure surmised that Sky Shadow belonged to the kind of warrior most pained by such disdain.

At this moment, Sky Shadow's face turned utterly grim. His body moved, abruptly soaring into the air as though preparing to unleash some grand technique. He bellowed furiously at the people below, "Get out of here, all of you!"

"Huh?" The bizarre figure's laughter came to an abrupt halt, his gaze locked intently on each of Sky Shadow's movements.

At this very moment, the earth, sky, mountains, and rivers all quaked incessantly as Sky Shadow's personal energy index soared like mad! His entire being transformed into a radiant streak of light—a sign of uncontrollable energy leakage. For reasons unknown, those below watching this transformation in Sky Shadow felt an inexplicable dread, an unthinkable terror. Could this guy have been driven insane by a few words from the bizarre figure?

"Hmph, futile struggle—come on. Whatever technique you use, I won't dodge it." The bizarre figure aimed to crush his opponent directly, attacking Sky Shadow's spirit on an even deeper level and leaving him utterly beaten.

"So it really is that technique..."

Roland's gaze turned extraordinarily profound, whispering faintly to himself.

"Ah? What technique?"

"Do you still remember the parallel dimension, Sara, that planet? I recall sensing vibrations from tens of kilometers away. It must have been caused by this terrifying technique Sky Shadow is using now. We need to move quickly—this entire area is about to be destroyed."

"N-no way, Roland! Even you say that?"

The Blade Warrior was utterly dumbstruck. If Sky Shadow's technique was terrifying in a way manageable for an ordinary person's survival range, Roland's sheer strength, quantified far beyond normal combat values, should have been able to shield everyone. Yet Blade Warrior hadn't expected such words—"We need to move quickly"—to come out of Roland's mouth. This unspoken implication was chilling: even Roland himself wasn't confident he could withstand the strike.

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